Leading Brexit campaigner welcomes Nissan decision to build two new models in Sunderland

Echo reporter

A leading Brexit campaigner has welcomed car giant Nissan's decision to build two new models at its Sunderland plant.

Richard Tice, Chairman of Leave Means Leave, said: "Voters in the North-East were told by David Cameron and George Osborne to expect “immediate and profound shock to our economy” after a Brexit vote, followed by recession and the loss of countless jobs in the car industry.

"They will have been amazed to see ONS figures last week which show that, in fact, unemployment in the North-East has fallen by 9,000 in the months following the Brexit vote, and is down by 22,000 compared to this time last year.

"Moreover, car production across the UK hit a 14-year high in August and, far from abandoning the North-East, we now know for certain that Nissan will be building the next generation of Qashqai and X-Trail SUV in Sunderland.

"The fact is, the economy is a lot more resilient than Project Fear gave it credit for. There are positive signals all over the country if you look past the gloom-merchants of the London-centric media, which focuses narrowly and disproportionately on the proclamations of the big banking corporations and multi-nationals, who just want to retain the privileges they enjoyed under the old EU system."